Author: John Mkdareq

Trumpet Practice Mute Designs

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Trumpet Practice Mute Designs

The practice mute design modeled after a horse feedbag whose image appears below was marketed back in the late 1960’s to both trumpet and trombone players and was advertised in print publications which included the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) union, monthly newspaper/newsletter that was mailed to AFM members.  This Author recalls responding to a display photo advertisement that promoted this practice mute in a circa 1967 edition of a AFM newspaper classified advertising section.

This … Read the rest

Incorporated Soul Band

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Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul Band

The Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul Band was a 12 member Soul Band and Review that was founded by a group of young musicians that were living in either Amherst and/or Pittsfield, Massachusetts in September of 1967.

Even in Massachusetts, back in the 1960’s, a racially integrated R&B/Soul Band was exceedingly rare in the United States.

The Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul quickly became the number one most sought after ‘party band’ in the Amherst, Massachusetts area.  … Read the rest

Plan Senior Graduation Trumpet Recital

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Plan Senior Graduation Trumpet Recital

The planning of a senior graduation trumpet recital to earn a B.A. in Trumpet Performance demands considerable forethought and an approximate year of preparation to pull off a very successful trumpet recital program.

In the late Spring of 1971, this Author with the able assistance of his UMASS-Amherst trumpet instructor, Professor Walter “Wally” Chesnut begun the planning of this Author’s senior graduation trumpet recital scheduled to be completed in the Spring 1972 semester.

Professor Chesnut … Read the rest

Amado Water Key For Trumpet

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Amado Water Key or Amado Spit Valve For Trumpet

When a person plays a trumpet, the players warm, moist breath will condense within the inside trumpets metal tubing. This condensation is caused by warm water vapor in the players breath which will gradually become cooler as the moist air vapor travels through the cooler metal tubing of the trumpet. In addition to water condensation, saliva or spit from the players mouth will also accumulate within the metal tubing of the … Read the rest

Female Cornet Soloist Jessie Millar

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Female Cornet Soloist Jessie Millar – 1890’s

See: Soft Lips on cold metal: female brass soloists of the 19th and early 20th centuries by Gavin Holman.

An exceptional ‘FEMALE’ featured virtuoso cornet soloist that performed with the Carl Clair Circus Band in the United States in the 1890’s was named Jessie Millar.

Ms. Millar did not play in the band with the other male band members. Ms. Millar was a featured virtuoso cornet soloist who exclusively performed on a podium … Read the rest

Vienna Prostitution Scandal Travels To UMASS

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Vienna Prostitution Scandal Involving Professor Wally Chesnut Travels To UMASS-Amherst

Within two weeks after returning home from the two week, Spring 1971, Edward Tarr European Trumpet History Tour, the highly regarded UMASS-Amherst trumpet instructor, Professor Walter Chesnut (“Wally”) was stunned to find out that the specter of a “BUDDING SEX SCANDEL” that Professor Chesnut thought was put to rest before he departed from Vienna had actually followed Professor Chesnut back to the United States.

The scandal revolved around … Read the rest

Most Important Classical Trumpet Soloists Prior To 1970

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Most Important Classical Trumpet Soloists Prior To 1970

Between 1870 and 1920, the cornet was considered “KING” of solo ‘classical style’ musical literature.  There were many scores of virtuoso cornet soloists between the United States and Great Britain that performed extremely difficult, solo cornet compositions with bands rather than orchestras during this period that required true virtuoso skills to convincingly perform well.

Between 1870 and 1920 the popularity of the cornet

in popular live performances and early recordings is comparable … Read the rest

Trumpet History Tour Hotel Brothel In Vienna

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Trumpet History Tour Hotel Brothel In Vienna

In the Spring of 1971, prominent classical trumpet soloist and pioneering Musicologist, Edward Tarr, organized a 14 day European Trumpet History Tour.

The tour itinerary included a two night stay in Vienna, Austria.

The approximate 20-25 tour participants were booked to stay in a comfortable hotel that was located in a beautiful part of central Vienna.  This hotel would probably be rated 3 stars in this day and age.  The rooms … Read the rest

Edward Tarr European Trumpet History Tour

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Edward Tarr – Trumpet Soloist and Musicologist –  1971

 

Edward Hankins Tarr (born June 15, 1936) in Norwich, Connecticut, is a fine, classically trained American trumpet player and ground breaking musicologist.  In 1953, Edward was a student of Roger Voisin, principal trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and in 1958–1959 with Adolph Herseth, principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony.

Early in his musical career, Edward Tarr moved to Europe and began his first … Read the rest

Blue Room New Orleans

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New Orleans Blue Room Fairmont Hotel 1980’s

Located at 123 Baronne Street in New Orleans, the Roosevelt Hotel (became the Fairmont Hotel in 1965 and in 2007 the original Roosevelt Hotel name was restored once again in 2007) originally opened in 1893 as “The Grunewald”. After a few years of operation, it was purchased by a group of New Orleans investors and renamed “The Roosevelt Hotel” (in honor of late former president Theodore Roosevelt).

The current hotel maintains 504 guest … Read the rest

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